Pile driver with steerable self-laying tracks



y 1965 H. STAUNAU 3,194,334

FILE DRIVER WITH STEERABLE SELF-LAYING TRACKS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1962 14 (Q s z 41; ATTORNEY PILE DRIVER WITH STEERABLE SELF-LAYING TRACKS Filed Nov. 15, 1962 H. STAUNAU July 13, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE NTOR H50 ,7. f/mz r/dk' y 3,1965 H. STAUNAU 3,194,334

FILE DRIVER WITH STEERABLE SELF-M11116 TRACKS Filed NW. 15, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVE NTOR fi e/n 2." lQ wa PILE DRIVER WITH STEERABLE SELF-LAYING TRACKS Filed Nov. 15, 1962 H. STAUNAU July 13, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR {92117 L fla -am y 3, 1965 H. STAUNAU 3,194,334

FILE DRIVER WITH STEERABLE SELF-LAYING TRACKS Filed Nov. 15, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Ha e/'17 z ll aua 124..

United States Patent 3,194,334 PILE DRIVER WITH STEERABLE SELF-LAYING TRACKS Heinz Staunau, Hamburg-Grossflottbek, Germany (Strandredder 1, Lubeck-Travemunde, Germany) Filed Nov. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 237,996 Claims priority, application Germany, Dec. 8, 1961, St 18,659 Claims. (CL 180-9) The present invention is an important improvement in a support and traveling arrangement for a pile driver such that the pile driver may travel either in a straight direction or along a circle on soft ground. The pile driver is always properly supported during such travel or While at a standstill during which it is used for driving piles into the ground.

The invention is illustrated in enclosed figure-s in form of an example,

FIG. 1 showing a side view of the machine;

FIG, 2 is schematic top view;

FIG. 3 a view of the front side with the wheels 7 swung out;

FIG. 4 showing a side view of the mechanism;

FIG. 5 shows a top view with wheels set in a circular direction;

FIG. 6 shows a top view with the rails set for a slanting direction or the working angle just desired;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a chain, surrounded by the lines as shown in FIG. 1 (in the right hand bottom);

FIG. 8 shows a side view according to FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 7 in side elevation and partly sectioned.

The invention relates to a support and traveling arrangement for a pile driver or the like constructed in such a manner that the pile driver may travel either in straight direction or along a circle on soft ground and be properly supported during such .travel or during standstill in which the pile driver is used for driving piles into the ground.

The general arrangement of the pile driver is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, in side view, top view and end view, respectively, whereas the main features of the present invention are clearly illustrated at an enlarged scale in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9.

As can be clearly seen from FIGS. 1-3 the support and traveling arrangement for a pile driver or the like comprises a substantially horizontally extending frame 1 and two pairs of arm means 1-4 arranged spaced from each other on the frame 1 and projecting respectively beyond side edges thereof. Each of the arm means 14 is pivotally connected at 16 to frame 1 and held in extended posit-ion by a strut 15 as clearly shown in FIG. 3. The means for pivoting the arms 14 about their pivot pins 16 do not form part of the present invention and it is therefore believed that detailed discussion of this arrangement is unnecessary. Each of the arms 14 carries in the region of the free end thereof shaft means 14' projecting downwardly therefrom and substantially normal thereto. Each of the shaft means comprises an upper cylindrical portion 14 which is pivotally mounted in the free end of the arm and a lower substantially fork-shaped portion 66 which is clearly shown in FIG. 8. A worm gear 17 is fixed to the cylindrical portion 14 of the shaft means which cooperates with the worm 17' for turning the shaft means about its axis. The fork-shaped portion 66 of the shaft means carries pivotally connected at 61 a pair of beams 65 extending substantially normal to the shaft means to opposite sides of the latter and the beams 65 carry at opposite ends thereof respectively a pair of wheels 7 by means of pivot pins 59, as clearly shown in EJ943342 Patented July 13, 1965 FIGS. 7 and 8. Drive means are provided for turning the wheels 7 about the axes of these drive means and include a cylinder 12 in which a non-illustrated piston is arranged which has a piston rod 11 extending with opposite ends beyond the cylinder 12. The piston rod 11 is fixedly connected at opposite ends thereof to the left beam 65, as viewed in FIG. 8 whereas the cylinder 12 is in this case reciprocable with regard to the piston rod 1'1. Conduit means 46 and 50 communicate with opposite ends of the cylinder 12 for alternately feeding pressure fluid into the cylinder and for discharging pressure fluid therefrom in a manner well known in the art. The cylinder 12 carries at the left end thereof, as viewed in FIG. 7, a cross-head 60 shown at a further enlarged scale in FIG. 9.

Coaxially arranged with each of the wheels 7 and fixedly connected there-to for rotation therewith is a sprocket wheel 64, best shown in FIG. 8. A sprocket chain 71 is arranged in an endless loop about the sprocket wheels 64, and portions of the sprocket chain 71 are guided over supporting surfaces 69a and 60b on the crosshead 60 as clearly shown in FIG. 9. The cross-head 60 carries a pair of feed pawls 73 and 64 each pivotal about a pivot axis 74 and the feed pawls 73 and 64 are respectively arranged above the supporting surfaces 60a, 60b as clearly shown in FIG. 9. The feed pawls are arranged oppositely inclined and as will be evident from FIG. 9, the feed pawl 73 will engage during movement of the crosshead 60 towards the right, as viewed in FIG, 9, one of the link pins of the upper run of the sprocket chain 7d to move thereby the upper run towards the right, and to turn thereby the sprocket wheels 64 and the wheels 7 connected thereto in clockwise direction. The lower run of the sprocket chain 71 will thereby move toward the left, as viewed in FIG. 9, and this movement of the lower run will cause the lower pivot pin to pivot in upward direction so that the free end thereof will slide over the link pins of the lower run of the sprocket chain. Obviously, the action of the two feed pawls will be reversed during reciprocation of the cross-head 60 towards the left hand and in this case the lower feed pawl 64 will engage with one of the link pins of the supporting surface 6% to drive the lower run of the sprocket chain towards the left while the upper run will move toward the right, causing thereby the feed pawl 73 to pivot in upward direction and to slide over the link pins of the upper run of the sprocket chain. Therefore, during reciprocation of the cylinder 12 and the cross-head 60 connected thereto, the upper run of the sprocket chain will always move towards the right, the lower run towards the left, and the wheels will rotate in clockwise direction. If it is desired to turn the wheels in opposite direction, all that is necessary is to change the inclinations of the two feed pawls.

The arrangement includes further track means comprising a plurality of rigid track sections 10 hingedly connected at 58 to each other so that the track sections form an endless track with one of the track sections located between the wheels 7 and the ground on which the machine travels or rests. An additional track section may also rest on the ground ahead of the track section engaged by the wheels 7 and the remaining track sections extend in an endless loop upwardly and around the wheels 7. Guide means in the form of two pairs of rollers 63 carried by the fork-shaped end portion 66 of the shaft means guide the track sections in a plane substantially parallel to the beams 65. The fork-shaped portion 66 of the shaft means also carries means laterally projecting therefrom for engaging during travel of the wheel means or wheels 7 one of the upwardly extending track sections 10 for pivoting the same toward the ground. These last mentioned means comprise a pair of members 6.2a projecting transverse to the axis of the shaft means and carrying at opposite ends thereof two rollers 62,'respectively.

When pressure fluid i alternatively fed through the thereby the wheels 7 to turn in clockwisedirection and to movefrom the left track section 10 on the' ground, as viewed inFIG. 7, to the right track section 10 already engaging. the ground. During :further movement of the.

wheel "7, the right roller 62, as viewed in FIG. 7,will

engage the upwardly. extending track section hingedly connected to the right endxof' the track section on the ground. and thereby tilt the upwardly extending track section towards the ground. It is evident that during continuous movement ofthe wheel'means toward the right,

the track sections ahead of the wheel-means will be laid one byone on'the. ground to provide thereby a good .sup-

port for the machine even if the same travels over soft ground. a

The .arrang'ementvjust described will permit traveling of the arrangement in substantially straight direction over g g tially horizontally extending frame; .a 'plurality of arm" means arranged .spaced'from each :otheand .proejotingi respectively. beyond :sid jedges thereofjg shaft means carriedibyeach .ofsaidprm means in'the 7 region of a free endthereof' andprojec-ting downwardly therefrom substantially normal thereto; wheel meanscar-f ried by "said. shaft means at the -=lower en5is pfthe latter; 7 drive means operatiyjelyconnecteditosaidwheebmeans the ground. When it is desired to provide for an arrange: ment in whichthe machinemay-also move in a circle or turn around, in a' circle',.the track sections lil which are substantially rectangularare exchanged for track sections 69 as shown inFIG. 5 Thesetrack sections have a substantially trapezoidalshape having parallel side edges. and. end edges which include anfangle with each' other as shown in FIG. 5 so that continuation lines of these end edges will intersect at a common pointr77 locatedina plane of symmetry of the frame 1 as clearly shown in. FIG. 6. To providerfor circularmovemnt of therarrangement, itvwill be necessary to turn the shaft means relative to the arms 14 so that the tracks 69 are in the positions as shown in FIG. ,5. To permit theshaft means to turn,

,it willbe obviously necessary to lift the track means from the, ground and for thispurpose jacks 8 are provided as 7 schematically shownin FIG. 3 which have foot portions f13,movable in a known manner betweenthe positions shown ;in FIG. 3- in which the foot portions 13 of the jack are either lifted from the ground as shown in FIG. 3

or pressed against the ground to lift thereby the frame v1 and the track means 10 or 69 from the ground.

To turn the shaftmeans and the wheel means and the track means carried thereby from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position, for instance shown in FIG. 5,

two hand wheels 43 and 44 are provided which are con nected by linkages including universal joints and bevel gears schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the shaft means 14 so that turning of the hand wheels 43 and 44 i "will result in the turning of the shaft means 14 in the manneraas clearly described in the specification. Inwardly 7 extending .endportio-ns 68 on the lower ends of the fork- :shaped portion 66 of the shaftmeans engage the track section located beneath the Wheels 7 for lifting this track section'from the ground whenever the frame 1 is lifted' a in the aforementioned manner by the jacks 8, 13;

Discussing the linkages for turning the shaft means,

wheel means and track means in more detail, it'will be evident from the drawing that the hand wheel-43 acts upon a bevel gear 21. This bevel gear is in turn connected Via a shaft 20 with a further bevel gear 19 from where turning motion is transmitted to the wormzgearlfl acting' on the upright shaft 14 by another shaft 18, thereby controlling turning movement of the wheel7 seen in the Hand wheel 43 lower right-hand corner of FIG. 2. further controls a second wheel 7, seen inthe upper leftuon is transmitted to the; second wheel 7 by way of shafts 24, 25 and 26 all ofwhich are interconnected by universal jointsto a bevel gear 27. The latter, in turn,

'transmits the motion to a shaft acts uponrthe worm drive 29 connected: with the} upright jshaft14; of

44 via bevel gear '36,; shaft 35,;"bevel gear 34, shaft 33,

a further bevel gear .32 theshaft {31 and .the'woriin gear,

39. Finally, the fourth 'wheel',7,"shown:in the lower left=hand corner of FIGQZ, is controlled :also; by hand 5 wheel 44 via the bevel' gear 3 6,'shafts 3.7, 38 and 39al1 interconnected by universal joints, 1 another :bevel 'gear 4tl,

and a shaft 41 acting upon the worm gear 42.

' A coupling means 45 isprovided so .tha;t the hand;

43, 44 "may. be selectively locked togetherQfor common operation, a'feature which is of importanceifit is desired to turn all four of the Wheels:Tsimultaneously.j Since the construction of the coupling means vdoes not formpart of the invention; it'wil1 not be further deserib dh' i Iclairn: h V

1. A supportand traveling:arrangementfora-pile driver or thelike-cornprising, in combination, a substan for d'rivirig the same'in a' selected glireotionji'track means for-each of said wheel means andjeach comprising. a pl u. ra'li-ty of rigid track "sections hingedly connected at theends-thereof to each other to forrn; an endless track, one 1 of said sections being ar-rangedjbetween't-hewheelimeans I and the ground onwhich the pile drivenis-fladaptedqto travel and the section leading said one sectionin direction.

bf travel of saidwhe eLmeansbeing adaptedifto b e'laid err-the; gnound in front of said one. sect ion withthe remaining .sections extending upwardly' and around said a wheel means; and means laterally. projecting from said I shaft means. for engaging during .travel of said wheel. means the upwardly extending section leading the. sectiononthe ground for pivoting said upwardlylextending sec,

tion toward the ground so t-hat said sections of said'e'nd- 6 less track are placed one. by one ;on the ground ahead of said wheel: means during .travel of the latter.

29A supportand' traveling arrangement forl a pile dr ver or the like comprising, incombination, a substan- (ti-ally horizontally extending frame; a pluralityjof arm means arranged spaced from each 'otheron said frame and projecting 'respectivelybe yond side edges thereof; shaft meanscarried by each of said arm means in theregion of a free endthereof and projecting downwardly therefrom, substantially normal (thereto, eachlofjsaid shaft means; being turnable about its axis; means operatively connected to each ofsaid "shaft means for turning theisame about its axis; wheel means carried by said shaft r'rneaizrs at the'" lower ends of the latter, each of said-wheel means cotnprising a'bea'm pivotally connected intermediate its ends i to said :lower end; of said .shaftnneansland normally ex:.

tending substantially normal thereto,? an;d a pair of wheels respectively turnably mounted in 'Dppos'ite-ends ofsaid beam; drive. means carried by saidbe'am and ;operatively' connected to said wheels for turning the same in a selected T direction; tracklmeans foriea-chfof saidfw-hejel; means and each comprising-a plurality ofrigidjtrack sections. hin'g-; edly-conne-ctedaa-t the ends thereof to'eachiother fro-form: an. endless tracln one of said' sections beingfarranged be .tween the wheel means and .the g roundonwhichthepile driver is adaptedtotravel.and theseetion leading said one; section in direction ofltravel ,of said Wheelfmeans being adapted to be laid on :thegr'onnd in front of. said one sec-tion withthe remaining sections extending. up:

n said frame wardly and around said wheel means; means laterally projecting from said shaft means for engaging during travel of said wheel means the upwardly extending section leading the section on the ground for pivoting said upwardly extending section toward the ground so that said sections of said endless track are placed one by one on the ground ahead of saidwheel means during travel of the latter; and guide means on said shaft mean and engaging a section of said track means which is spaced from the ground for guiding said loop substantially in a plane substant-ially parallel to said beam.

3. A support and traveling arrangement for a pile driver or the like comprising, in combination, a substantially horizontally extending frame; a plurality of arm means arranged spaced from each other on said frame and projecting respectively beyond side edges thereof; shaft means carried by each of said arm means in the region of a free end thereof and projecting downwardly therefrom substantially norm-a1 thereto, each of said shaft means being turnable about its axis; means operatively connected to each of said shaft means for turning the same about its axis; Wheel means carried by said shaft means at the lower ends of the latter, each of said wheel means comprising a beam pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said lower end of said shaft means and normally extending substantially normal thereo, and a pair of wheels respectively turnably mounted in opposite ends of said beam; drive means carried by said beam and operatively connected to said wheels for turning the same in a selected direction; track means for each of said wheel means and each comprising a plurality of rigid track sections hingedly connected at the ends thereof to each other to form an endless track, one of said sections being arranged between the wheel means and the ground on which the pile driver is adapted to travel and the section leading said one section in direction of travel of said wheel means being adapted to be laid on the ground in front of said one section with the remaining sections extending upwardly and around said wheel means, each of said track sections having a width substantially greater than that of said wheels and said track means being arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane of symmetry of said wheels; means laterally projecting from said shaft means for engaging during travel of said wheel means the upward-1y extending section leading the section on the ground for pivoting said upwardly extending section toward the ground so that said sections of said endless track are placed one by one on the ground ahead of said wheel means during travel of the latter; and guide means on said shaft means and engaging a section of said track means which is spaced from the ground for guiding said loop substantially in a plane substantially parallel to said beam.

4. A support and traveling arrangement for a pile driver or the like comprising, in combination, a substantially horizontally extending frame; a plurality of arm means arranged spaced from each other on said frame and projecting respectively beyond side edges thereof; shaft means carried by each of said arm means in the region of a free end thereof and projecting downwardly therefrom substantially normal thereto, each of said shaft means being turnable about its axis; means operatively connected to each of said shaft means for turning the same about its axis; Wheel means carried by said shaft means at the lower ends of the latter, each of said wheel 6 means comprising a beam pivotally connected intermediate its ends to said lower end of said shaft means and normally extending substantially normal thereto, and a pair of wheels respectively turn-ably mounted in opposite ends of said beam; drive means carried by said beam and operatively connected to said wheels for turning the same in a selected direction; track means for each of said wheel means and each comprising a plurality of rigid track sec tions hingedly connected at the ends thereof to each other to form an endless track, one of said sections being arranged between the wheel means and the ground on which the pile driver is adapted to travel and the section leading said one section in direction of travel of said wheel means being adapted to be laid on the ground in front of said one section with the remaining sections extending upwar-dly and around said wheel means, each of said track sections having a width substantially greater than that of said wheels and said track means being arranged sym metrically with respect to a plane of symmetry of said wheels and each of said track sections having the shape of a trapazoid having a pair of side edges substantially parallel to said beam and a pair of end edges inclined to each other in such a manner that lines forming continuations of the end edges of all track sections on the ground intersect each other at a common point located in a plane of symmetry of said frame; means laterally projecting from said shaft means for engaging during travel of said wheel means the upwardly extending section leading the section on the ground for pivoting said upwardly extending section toward the ground so that said sections of said endless track are placed one by one on the ground ahead of said wheel means during travel of the latter; and guide means on said shaft means and engaging a section of said track means which is spaced from the ground for guiding said loop substantially in a plane substantially parallel to said beam.

5. A traveling and support arrangement as set forth in claim 2 wherein said drive means comprises piston and cylinder means including a cylinder member and a piston rod member, one of said members being fixedly carried by said beam and the other member being reciprocable with respect to said fixed member; a pair of sprockets respectively fixed to said wheels for rotation therewith; a sprocket chain forming an endless loop around said sprockets and having an upper and a lower run; a crosshead fixed to said reciprocable member for reciprocation therewith and having a pair of supporting surfaces for supporting portions of said upper and lower runs of said chain; and a pair of feed pawls pivotal-1y mounted on said cross-head respectively above said supporting surfaces and each having a free end engaging between link pins of said sprocket chain located at any instant above said support surfaces, said feed pawls being inclined in opposite directions so that during movement of said cross head in one direction one of said pawls will engage a link pin above one of said supporting surfaces to move thereby said sprocket chain in one direction while the other pawl will pivot and slide over the link pins moving over the other supporting surface, and vice versa.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,945 1/34 Landrin.

2,272,135 2/42 Singer 3O5-19 2,346,089 4/44 Singer 305-19 2,777,528 1/57 Jourdain -8 3,084,981 4/63 Liebrecht 305-19 A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner.

LEO FRIAGLIA, Examiner. 

1. A SUPPORT AND TRAVELING ARRANGEMENT FOR A PILE DRIVER OR THE LIKE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING FRAME; A PLURALITY OF ARM MEANS ARRANGED SPACED FROM EACH OTHER ON SIDE FRAME AND PROJECTING RESPECTIVELY BEYOND SIDE EDGES THEREOF; SHAFT MEANS CARRIED BY EACH OF SAID ARM MEANS IN THE REGION OF A FREE END THEREOF AND PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THERETO; WHEEL MEANS CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT MEANS AT THE LOWER ENDS OF THE LATTER; DRIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID WHEEL MEANS FOR DRIVING THE SAME IN A SELECTED DIRECTION; TRACK MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID WHEEL MEANS AND EACH COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF RIGID TRACK SECTIONS HINGEDLY CONNECTED AT THE ENDS THEREOF TO EACH OTHER OF FORM AN ENDLESS TRACK, ONE 